Back to School with Probiotics: Immune Support and Kids

Posted: September 5, 2019 | By Florastor

Around the country, parents and their kids are gearing up for back-to-school shopping. Their lists are sure to include new clothes, shoes, lunchboxes, backpacks, paper and pencils. Should they include probiotics too?

Probiotics, which are living microorganisms, can be useful in strengthening your child’s digestive balance and supporting a healthy immune system, so adding them to your list is worth considering. Probiotics can be found in food and medication, and also are available in dietary supplements.

Probiotic supplements – which deliver higher concentrations of good bacteria or yeast strains to our digestive systems – work to keep our gut microbiota in equilibrium. Our gut microbiota is made up of
trillions of cellular organisms, or microbes, that include bacteria, viruses, fungi, yeast and protozoa, and it is believed that when things get out of balance from such things as antibiotics, poor diet or even stress, we can experience trouble in our digestive tracts. More and more researchers are studying the role microbiota plays in human health.

Our gut microbiota does change, especially as we age and grow. And there’s a lot of growing going on in children. As they move from infants to toddlers to school-aged and then teenagers, children undergo a number of physiological changes. Also, their diets change, their activities change and their sleep habits change. All of these transitions are likely to impact their gut microbiota. Specific probiotic strains are formulated to help kids stay healthy through these various stages of development.

Research studies have shown supplemental probiotics are not only safe for children, but also beneficial. They can help facilitate the absorption of nutrients and increase digestive enzymes, and also stimulate the production of Immunoglobulin A (IgA), the primary antibody in our digestive tracts that defend against infections. Studies have shown multiple benefits of probiotic supplementation in maintaining children’s overall health.

Not all probiotics are the same. Generally, it is important that a specific strain of probiotic is able to survive both gastric acid and bile so that they can reach the small intestine and colon in an active state. Probiotic strains; either bacteria-based or yeast-based, show distinctive strain-specific activity. For example, Saccharomyces boulardii has been shown to stay active even when taken along with common oral antibiotics, protecting your child’s GI tract especially when its most needed.

It’s important to look for probiotics that are backed by scientific, studies. FlorastorKids probiotic
is a kid-friendly formulation to help children maintain the delicate balance of their healthy intestinal flora. Flavored with tutti-frutti flavoring to keep little taste buds happy, FlorastorKids can be mixed into beverages or food, like applesauce, for easy consumption. Shown in over 65 years of extensive international safe use and research. Developed by Biocodex, FlorastorKids contains the unique active probiotic strain, Saccharomyces boulardii lyo CNCM I-745, the friendly yeast found naturally on the skin of lychees and mangosteens (tropical fruits).

Getting your kids ready to go back to school is all about preparing them for the best education they can get. How about preparing their digestive and immune systems for the coming school year, too?